Dr Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary, UN Economic & Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific;
Distinguished Guests,

It is a pleasure to join you here today for this ceremony – with its keynote theme of cooperation and teamwork. The links between ESCAP and the ILO are already strong. And so they should be. We are members of the same family, and we share the same goals. Like any family, we will be most effective when we work closely together. Most recently, Thematic Working Groups have been helping us to do this. Within the ILO’s circle of concern, groups focusing on -- poverty alleviation and rural development, trafficking, follow-up to the World Social Summit, and human rights and governance -- are especially helpful. The challenges that we face are enormous We have a responsibility to make sure that we use our resources as effectively as we can. Real working partnerships between agencies are essential if we are to do this.

Today’s ceremony is a very clear illustration of this. The ILO-IPEC / GENPROM Trafficking Project and the HRD Section of ESCAP have worked together since our trafficking project began – united by a common goal. Both are dedicated to eliminating the horrific practice of trafficking in human lives, and to helping the victims of this trade build a meaningful existence. Trafficking flies in the face of the most fundamental principles of the ILO. It flies in the face of human decency. It targets the most vulnerable, those who are least able to protect themselves. It thrives on ignorance and indifference. Its effects, on individuals and on countries, are devastating.

In this region, ESCAP’s HRD Section and the ILO Trafficking Project have worked hard to combat this social evil. Just as significantly, they have worked effectively – they have worked together. It has been a valuable partnership. Each one has benefited from the special strengths of the other. The HRD Section’s work in the field of trafficking is well known. The Section has been an active member of the UN Inter-Agency Working Group on Trafficking since its inception. Over the past few years, it has also amassed a great deal of expertise relating to the psycho-social and medical needs of sexually exploited or abused children. The ILO Trafficking Project has already benefited from this. Even though our primary focus is on prevention, we know that rehabilitating and reintegrating the victims of sexual exploitation is also vital.

The ILO Trafficking Project’s strengths are in slightly different areas. The project takes a preventive approach, and so it has devoted a great deal of time and attention to building networks in the countries it targets. These networks serve a dual purpose. First, they help us to learn from the people in the countries we work with. They bring together government officials, NGOs, UN agencies and other key partners to share their knowledge and insights, to build a great understanding of the issues related to trafficking, and to build new alliances. Second, these networks can be used as channels to send information deep into a country or region. This is what today’s ceremony is all about. We are bringing together the ILO IPEC Trafficking Project’s networks – and the ESCAP HRD Section’s psycho-social and medical expertise. Taking a training-of-trainers approach, we will use the Trafficking Project’s networks to find the people who are best placed pass this information on. They might be government officials in charge of training – they might work with NGOs – their backgrounds might be in medicine, or in social work. The next step is the training course itself, designed and put together drawing on the HRD Section’s considerable past experience and contacts. Then, these trainees go back to their countries and communities – and become trainers themselves. Follow-up activities will support them, as they work to make sure that their new expertise reaches as many people as possible.

The ILO and ESCAP have a common aim – bringing this shameful trade in human beings to an end. The work that begins today will help us move closer to that aim. This is the kind of joint undertaking that our UN Secretary General Kofi Anan has in mind when he urges greater coherence, and complementary action. Once again, I should like to assure you that the ILO is firmly committed to building these kinds of partnerships. I should like to thank you, Dr Kim, and through you your dedicated and capable staff, for your cooperation and commitment. I look forward to seeing our relationship become even stronger, and closer.